CDNN INTERVIEW - BOB DIMONDTo feed or not to feed. That is the question. It has polarized divers in Florida, aroused strong opinions throughout the global diving community and turned friends into enemies. In one corner stands Bob Dimond and friends supported by a grassroots coalition of environmental groups. In the other corner stands PADI, DEMA and a powerful coalition of dive industry heavies. The war is over shark feeding and the battle lines are being drawn across each and every Florida coastal community. PART IIMr. Dimond was interviewed by CDNN Managing Editor, Freeman Washington. Freeman: PADI, DEMA, Rodale and others in the dive industry have argued that a ban on shark feeding will have a negative impact on Florida's dive industry and dive tourism in Florida. How important is shark feeding to Florida's tourism industry? Bob: The three top tourist activities in Florida are, visit the beach, eat in restaurants, visit Disney World, in that order. Of the fifty tourist activities tracked, diving doesn't make the list. ...the director has agreed that the percentage of tourists who visited to participate in shark feeding was statistically zero. The state of Florida and Broward County conduct exit polls to determine what activities tourists engage in during their visit. Less than one half of one percent of tourists leaving Ft. Lauderdale said they went diving or snorkeling. They may have come to play golf, and while they were at the beach put on snorkel gear and took a swim. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau cannot determine how many tourists were actually on dive related trips but the director has agreed that the percentage of tourists who visited to participate in shark feeding was statistically zero. ...shark feeding, which intentionally draws sharks to areas where tourists swim, is the number one threat to the number one tourist attraction in Florida. Beach goers fear being attacked by sharks so, in my opinion, shark feeding, which intentionally draws sharks to areas where tourists swim, is the number one threat to the number one tourist attraction in Florida. I am confident shark feeding will be banned. But at what environmental price? How much bad press and revenue loss will it take? Or will it take the unthinkable: a tragedy. Freeman: If you are right and shark feeding is banned, how much of an impact will the ban have on Florida's dive industry? Bob: Tourist related dive information leads to a very simple conclusion: Most people who dive in Florida are local residents. Shark dives do not draw divers to Florida and local divers will not stop diving because of a ban. Shark feeding does not augment the economic dive pie. The feeders are attempting to slice themselves a larger piece of the pie to the detriment of responsible operators. I think the feeders fear that when shark feeding is banned, they will not be able to compete with the first class local dive operations. Freeman: Do you have any idea how big that slice is compared to total revenue generated by Florida's dive industry including scuba courses, equipment sales and non-shark feeding dive tours? Compared to the total revenue generated by Florida's dive industry, feeding dive revenue would be a decimal point with zeros behind it. Bob: The dive industry claims that only three commercial feeding operations exist in Florida. So, I would think it is safe to assume that the revenue generated by feeding operations wouldn't even be a slice of the pie; it might be a crumb. Compared to the total revenue generated by Florida's dive industry, feeding dive revenue would be a decimal point with zeros behind it. Freeman: So how real is the threat that someone will get hurt if there are only three small shark feeding operations in the entire state of Florida? Bob: Well, the dive industry "claims" that only three feeding operations exist in Florida. At various times during the last two years the number has been between ten and three. When they were making an economic argument the number was ten. Currently the press is focusing on safety and environmental issues and they are trying to mitigate these concerns by reducing the number to three. In fact, the dive industry is attempting to conceal the true scope of the problem. In a recent letter to the FWC, Dr. Bill Alevizon, scientific advisor to the Marine Safety Group, states cogently "...it is not accurate to suggest that the scope of the problem is limited to five charter operations. In truth, many hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who go diving and snorkeling from private small boats in Florida waters now regularly practice the feeding of marine wildlife. Virtually every popular dive site in the state is now being subjected to this sort of habitat and community disturbance." And people at these sites are also being aggressively approached by marine wildlife expecting handouts, creating a dangerous situation in the form of likely panic responses by novice divers and children. These individuals are simply emulating what the dive industry has so ardently promoted through every medium at their disposal. As a result, Floridians and tourists can no longer enter the water at most well visited dive sites and expect to see anything like natural fish behavior. And people at these sites are also being aggressively approached by marine wildlife expecting handouts, creating a dangerous situation in the form of likely panic responses by novice divers and children. Now Pandora's box is open. Sharks and other fishes are being conditioned by both recreational divers and commercial dive operators to associate people with food. We believe this is a real threat to public safety. Freeman: Does that threat outweigh the benefits of shark feeding as outlined by PADI, the shark feeding operators and others in the dive industry? Bob: Make no mistake, the purpose, or reason, behind shark feeding, is to attract sharks to humans and to condition them to associate humans, (all humans), with food through positive reinforcement (reward of a fish). That way, shark feeding activities may be engaged in with a high probability of success. ...sharks don't know which humans are on shark feeding dives, and which are not. To a commercial shark feeding operation this is an advantage. The customers get what they paid for, to see sharks. But sharks don't know which humans are on shark feeding dives, and which are not. To a customer on a feeding dive, in shallow water, secure under the supervision of trained professionals, interacting with these beautiful creatures could be awe inspiring. But, to a mother and daughter, drift diving alone on a reef, being approached by a 500 pound conditioned bull shark is a terrifying experience. And it could be deadly. I'm sure the PADI/DEMA line, "Don't worry--if you don't have food they will go away" is not what she is thinking at that moment. Or what of a lobster diver, alone in deep water? In this case it is probably the conditioned shark that is in the most danger. Organized feeding dives may be fun, but unexpected encounters with conditioned sharks are not. In the end, conditioning sharks to associate humans with food is dangerous for both sharks and humans. Experiments by Dr. Gruber conclude that sharks are "intelligent" and retain the conditioning response for at least a year, maybe for life (International Wildlife, July 92,Vol 22 Issue 4, p. 38). Migrating sharks fed in South Florida still have the conditioned response wherever they go. Organized feeding dives may be fun, but unexpected one-on-one encounters with conditioned sharks are not. In the end, conditioning sharks to associate humans with food is dangerous for both sharks, and humans. Freeman: Rodale launched an aggressive campaign to get divers to mail a form letter to the FWC protesting the proposed ban on shark feeding. In the letter, Dave Taylor, a Rodale staff, referred to pro-shark feeders, as "rational and well-intentioned" but berated your side as an "emotional, vocal and misinformed minority." PADI refers to the Marine Safety Group as three commercial spear fishermen who are making false statements aimed at scaring people. How do you respond to these charges? Bob: City governments, thousands of petition signatories, respected scientists, and some of the most prestigious animal rights, sporting and environmental groups in the world do not constitute a "misinformed minority." ...if people are scared by the safety and environmental consequences of marine wildlife feeding, their fear is well founded. In fact, divers around the world, the very people PADI claims to represent, disapprove of shark feeding four or five to one, depending on the poll. I will leave it to Cyber Diver readers to make their own determination as to whom is "rational and well-intentioned." No member of the Marine Safety Group is, or has ever been, a commercial spear fisherman. All information we disseminate is based on scientific data, or the professional opinion of marine scientists. So, if people are scared by the safety and environmental consequences of marine wildlife feeding, their fear is well founded. Bob Dimond on Shark Feeding - Part III To express your opinion on Mr. Dimond's comments or the shark feeding issue in general, go to SCUBA FORUM. To vote "for" or "against" shark feeding, go to Scuba Poll™.
| 
